Courting Kaoru
by Kjpanny Kjchristie17
Summary: *Sequel to Silent Love* He doesn't want her to love him. He wants her to be obsessed with him.


It was hard for Kaoru to come to terms with that fact that Kenshin actually loved her. Sometimes she wondered if he wasn't forcing himself. He was so gentle with her that it frightened her at times. She, who had never had attention lavished on her as such, was confused when he would smile so often at her or just sit by her side, playing with her hair.

She wasn't getting any better. That, too, scared her. She had this headache that wouldn't go away and lately she had started feeling feverish. She avoided telling Kenshin because a part of her warned her that people tired of her very quickly. She didn't want him to get weary of taking care of her.

"Kaoru. I brought tea."

As he walked towards her, her face turned red. He had started using her first name and remove the title of 'Miss'. It was very strange. Stuttering her thanks, she took the cup from him. he sat down opposite her and thought to himself that it had been a good idea locating her on the porch. The fresh air would be good for her.

Yahiko had taken to helping Tsubame with her duties so he was rarely home. He did drop in to check on Kaoru and see how she was doing. Sometimes, he brought his pay with him and demanded Kaoru run the household with his money. It made the boy feel like a man. Kaoru accepted his money graciously but was storing it for Yahiko. She thought nobody noticed, but Kenshin had seen her and his heart had warmed at her actions. She truly did love the boy.

Sano was busy with Megumi since the outbreak of a viral illness. The fox had threatened him into helping her and despite the moans and groans, Kenshin knew the man enjoyed the near proximity of the female doctor.

He looked at Kaoru as she stared at her tea, a lost look in her eyes. _And he was busy courting Miss Kaoru. _

She had changed, he reflected. Her defensive demeanor had gentled. Despite what she said, he saw a fine woman, someone who was fiercely protective of what she loved and whose heart was generous enough to let in strangers into her home.

She had taken care of them, but nobody had taken care of her. Nobody had noticed how the townsfolk ridiculed her, talked about her. Many a times, he and Sano had entered the local pub and beaten quite a few men who had been discussing Kaoru's assets. Sano had then formed a very protective streak where she was concerned. Kenshin had worked hard to stop the Battousai from emerging and telling everyone that she was a claimed woman.

He had loved her for a long time. He smiled faintly as he recalled when she had rushed to help him hang the clothes on a windy day. it had been mid October and there had been a fierce gale. He had insisted on hanging the clothes and Kaoru had come to his aid. It had taken them quite a while what with the wind blowing so fiercely and Kaoru laughing so gaily at his attempts to subdue the clothes. It had been at that moment when he had near to lost his temper and he turned to say something to her when he had gotten an eyeful of her flushed face, her wind blown hair and those eyes dancing with merriment. He had fallen in love. He had always cared for her, but the full force of his feelings hadn't hit him until that moment.

He had determined to protect this cherished feeling until she reciprocated, and she was starting to. He had noticed those shy glances, those frequent blushes. His heart would soar every time he would catch her looking at him. He had started taking late tea with her on the porch. They would talk about nothing and everything and sometimes they would just sit in comfortable silence.

He wanted her. He desired her.

She was the perfect woman for him. His violent side would also relax in her presence.

Despite what other people thought, his Battousai side was the violence that he had suppressed. After the war, a large part of him had craved the blood and violence, had become addicted to it. He had never met anyone who had been able to gentle that part of him, who had made him forget the bloodshed and made him want to purr like a cat.

He adored her for things she didn't even know she could do.

And then Miss Miwako had shown up.

Saving her life had been a coincident. Then she had shown up at the dojo. With her sickly sweet demeanor, she clung to him and no matter how hard he tried, she wouldn't leave. He had thought this Kaoru would get rid of her, but the more the girl showed up, the more Kaoru started disappearing. He would hardly see her.

His dark side had howled in protest. It had snarled and even contemplated killing the annoying girl. He missed Kaoru. She was never there. A doubt had started forming in his mind that she might have tired of him. His heart had shattered when she wouldn't even meet his eyes at breakfast. She would nibble on something and then leave. However, he had also started noticing that she had started becoming pale. Then one evening, he had sat in wait of Miss Kaoru and Miss Miwako had showed up. She had started acting strange, sitting too close to him, acting coy. It had irked him. She irritated him.

Then she had asked to see his room. He had simply told her to go look at it herself. Pouting, she had done so and when she had merged, he had noticed Miss Kaoru's aura nearby. It had flickered and then dimmed. He had tried to go after it, but the woman had clung to him, trying to kiss him.

He blamed everything on himself. He should have seen, should have noticed. He had gotten rid of her and had rushed to follow that dimming aura. Megumi had been frightened when she had seen him. His eyes had been completely golden, his Battousai side screaming for blood.

They said she was sick.

They said she needed to stay where she could receive proper care.

All he knew was that the woman he loved to insanity and beyond was leaving him and he realized that if she died, he would lose to his dark side.

If she died, then nobody deserved to live, the Battousai warned him.

And he agreed.

This was why the love of an assassin was so deadly.

He took her home.

Holding her close had soothed the wild beat inside him. He had spent the night sitting next t her, where he could see her, touch her.

She had been wary the next morning. He had accepted that. He had put two and two together and after kicking out Miss Miwako, permanently, he had told her in no uncertain terms that he considered her his and he might bungle up the courtship, but he would win her heart.

Of course, she already loved him.

But he wanted her to crave him, not simply love him.

He wanted her to need him like she needed the air to breathe. He wanted to dominate her every thought, to dominate her very soul.

He could see that she was not getting better, that her fever was worse. As she stared at her tea, he deftly stood up and before she knew it, she was in his lap.

"K-Kenshin!"

"Yes, Kaoru?" His voice was sinfully low, his nose right next to her ear, making her shiver.

"W-What are you doing?"

He chuckled, "Holding you." Then with an afterthought, he murmured in her ear, "You really shouldn't squirm that much."

She froze completely and he couldn't help laughing. She had no idea how to act around him and that amused him and made him want to tease her more. She bristled at his laughter.

That just made him laugh harder.

She was like a little kitten baring her claws at him.

"I love you, Kaoru."

His words made her still before she relaxed against him, "I l-love you, Kenshin."

"How much?"

"Huh?" She tried to turn around to look at him, but he wouldn't let her.

"What do you mean how much?"

"How much do you love me?"

"I don't know how to measure my love, Kenshin!" She growled at him. "It's not something that I can measure with a spoon."

He pulled her closer, "Forever then."

She was silent, before she put a hand over his hand on her stomach, her voice sad, "Forever, if you'll have me."

The last words were spoken in a low monotone, but he heard them, nonetheless.

"You don't understand how much I need you, Miss Kaoru. But you will."

She noticed how he added 'Miss' before her name, and somehow it made the words even more sweeter.

They remained in silence for a while, before she asked, "What will you make for dinner today?"

"What would you like to eat?"

Kaoru smiled, "I like everything that you make." Then with a scowl, "It tastes better than what I make."

Kenshin put his chin on her shoulder, "Then maybe I should give you cooking lessons when you're better."

He whispered something else in her ear and she blushed and tried to get off him. He just chuckled and pulled her closer.

"You haven't told me your fever is getting worse."

His words were admonishing and she flushed, "It's not that bad."

However, her hand had been trembling for quite a while and he had noticed. Picking her up, bridal style, he took her to her room, where he deposited her gently on the bed.

"Rest. I will go prepare dinner."

"You didn't even let me drink my tea," she murmured, accusingly, as her eyes drifted shut, the fever making her lethargic.

He laughed softly, "I'll make you fresh tea later."

Kaoru was a wonderful patient. She didn't protest so much and let him do whatever he wanted. So, when Megumi declared her to be better, Kenshin was overjoyed. However, she was still advised to rest.

Kenshin took care of her and at the same time courted her. She would often find wild flowers tucked in random places in her room and then he would take her on walks in the evening and give her a flower or sometimes buy her ribbons which were usually golden or violet. He said it matched his eyes. She would wear them and he would wear a foolish grin on his face all day.

However, when it came to the proposal, he certainly took his time, till Kaoru, assured of his feelings, took the initiative and demanded whether he planned to marry her or just keep her hanging till she turned into a hag. Of course that sparked an argument between the two which ended with the emergence of the Battousai who decided there were better things Kaoru could be doing with her mouth than talking. By the time, he let her go, his woman had been kissed senseless, and Kenshin looked horrified at having molested his own fiancee.

Their engagement caused quite an uproar within the small community they lived and Miwako came by and hurled accusations at Kaoru till Kenshin threw her out. The girl then went to Megumi and Sano who gave her the cold shoulder. Family came over strangers and as far as they were concerned, Kaoru was family.

Then when she confronted Kaoru in the market place, the latter listened to the insults and abuses patiently, before smirking and saying, "Hmm, and yet, despite everything, he still chose me. What do you know?"

Tae arranged the marriage ceremony and as soon as they entered their house, Battousai threw out Yahiko and Sano for an entire month. According to him, he wanted some alone time with his bride. After that one month, Kaoru never had any doubts as to whether Kenshin was forcing himself to love her. Both the Battousai and Kenshin were obsessed with her and she was, oddly enough, okay with it.

Their son was a complete copy of their father and liked to monopolize his mother as much as possible. Sometimes, Kaoru wondered what would have happened if she hadn't let the rurouni of that day to stay. She would be bereft of this family, this unconditional love showered upon her. She had a loving husband, a bratty yet adoring son, two brothers and a sister.

Life had its ups and downs and after all the pain she had overcome, she got something to cherish after all.

A.N: This is the sequel to Silent Love. I hope you enjoy it. Do review.


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